Tobacco curing system



m 1942- c. T. JACKSON TOBA CCO CURING SYS TEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed we27, 1940" -ll'llll'l In vent on marks 2172212805 Z22 406:

A ttorney June 16,1942. c. T. JAcKsbN I 2,286,206

roBAdco CURING SYSTEM Filed June 27, 1940 2 She ets-Sheet 2 A itorneysPatented June 16, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application June 27,1940, Serial No. 342,814

Claims. (Cl. 34-4-8) My invention relates to improvements in tobaccocuring systems, and the primary object of my invention is to provide anarrangement of this character whose effective temperature for ouringpurposes can be efficiently predetermined and automatically maintained,whereby superior curing of the tobacco is achieved.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following description taken in connection with thedrawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferredembodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general transverse vertical sectional view taken throughan embodiment of the invention and showing the operative relation of themain component parts thereof.

Figure 2 is a contracted horizontal sectional view taken through thelower part of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a contracted top plan view of the barn per se.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designatesa tobacco curing barn of generally rectangular floor plan and having thegable roof 6 provided in all four corners with upstanding ventilatorstacks 1 provided with dampers 8 operated by suitable means to aid inthe control of the temperature and moisture conair into and through thebarn and out of the I barn comprises the preferably sheet metalrectanglar cross section casing H which is disposed transversely of theapproximate middle of the barn just above the floor I2, the oppositeends of the casing terminating in a tapered air inlet [3 and a taperedair outlet Id. The space between the longitudinally inward ends of theinlet and outlet is taken up by the steam pipe coils l5 which arerelatively closely spaced together and are arranged longitudinally, withone terminal of the coils rising from one of the upper coils and throughthe top of the adjacent end of the casing at IS. The opposite terminalof the steam pipe leads ofi one of the lowermost steam coils and throughthe lower part of the same end of the casing at l1. The horizontalportion 18 of the steam coil which leads from the point l'l enters atrap I9 which is connected at 20 to a return tank 2!, whence thecondensed steam is drawn by the injector 22 and injected into the steamboiler 23. The boiler is fired by any suitable means and has the steamoutlet pipe 24, controlled by a hand valve 25, and'connecting with thesteam coils at the point I6. Between the point l6 and the hand valve 25is an adjustable automatic termostatic valve 26 which has itsheat-affected element 21 mounted within the lower part of the barn intheregion of the heat-- ing element, so that when the thermostatic valve 26has been set for a certain temperature, a rise of the barn temperatureabove that point will produce automatic cutting off of the supply ofsteam from the boiler through the pipe 24 and to the steam coils untilsuch time as the barn temperature falls below the stated point and thesupply of steam is restored to the coils.

The air outlet terminal old of the heater casing II has openingthereinto lateral arms 28 and 29, also preferably of sheet metal andextending in horizontal positions along the adjacent wall of the casing5, with right angular extensions 36 and 3|, respectively, extendingacross the barn as shown in Figure 2 near the opposite ends of the barn,the extensions being provided at suitable intervals with heated airdischarging openings 32 and 33. A vertical baffle 34 traversing the airoutlet terminal l4 divides the heated air stream equally between the twoconduits 28 and 29 to produce uniform distribution of the heated air inthe barn,

As shown in Figure 1, the extensions 36 and 3| of the conduits 28 and 29lie in a horizontal plane below the top of the casing H.

The air intake terminal 13 of the casing H has a cylindrical extension35 which passes through a conforming opening in the adjacent wall of thebarn and has operating therein a blower fan 36 whose shaft 31 extends tothe outside of the conduit and is operatively connected to a suitablemotor 31 having appropriate controls. The longitudinally outward end ofthe conduit extension 36 merges into an elbow 38 from which rises thereturn air conduit 39 whose major portion extends vertically alongsidethe barn and whose upper end merges into an angulated portion 40 whichterminates at its upper end in an elbow 4|, the latter terminating in avertically depending part 42 which enters the top of the barn throughthe apex portion of the gable roof 6 at the approximate middle of thebarn.

It is thought obvious that with a supply of steam in the steam coils l5and. with the fan 36 operating, hot air will be moved through the casingII in contact with the steam coils l5 and the air having been heated tothe required temperature will pass out through the conduits 28 and 29and rise through the interior of the barn from the holes 32 and 33 onthe conduit extensions 30 and 3|, into contact with the tobacco 9 strungin the barn, until the air reaches the lower end of the part 42 of theair return conduit. The suction created by the fan 36 in the returnconduit draws this air downwardly through the said conduit and forcesthe same again through the heater. The operation of the thermostaticcontrol has already been explained. Suitable places in the interior ofthe barn are fitted with thermometers 43 enabling the attendants to haveanother accurate check on the temperature conditions within the barnduring the curing process.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not wish to limit theapplication of the invention thereto, except as may be required by thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A tobacco curing system comprising a substantially closed barn in theupper part of which the tobacco to be cured is adapted to be suspended,a heater in the lower part of the barn, said heater comprising arelatively large cross section horizontal casing extending across thebarn, smaller cross section horizontal heated air conduits extendinglaterally from the forward end of the casing, said heated air conduitsbeing formed with heated air discharging openings spaced therealong,longitudinal steam heating coils occupying a major portion of theinterior of said casing between the ends'thereof, a steam supply forsaid coils, an air return conduit supported exteriorly of the barn, saidreturn conduit having its upper end in communication with the upper partof the barn abovethe location of the suspended tobacco and having itslower end connected with the rear or air intake end of said casing, andan air circulating fan in the lower part of said return conduit actingto draw air from said return conduit and force the air through saidcasing in contact with the steam heating coils and into the interior ofthe barn through the openings in said heated air conduits.

2. A tobacco curing system according to claim 1 wherein said steamsupply comprises a steam discharge pipe connected to one of theupperhaving a steam discharge pipe connected to one of the uppermoststeam heating coils, said steam supply further comprises a return pipeleading from one of the lowermost steam heating coils to said boiler,said return pipe having connected therein a steam trap, a return tankand an injector for injecting the condensate in said tank into theboiler.

4. A tobacco curing apparatus comprising an enclosure in the upper partof which the tobacco to be cured is suspended, a horizontally elongatedheater casing extending centrally across and substantially from side toside'of the lower part of said enclosure, said heater casing being ofrelatively large cross section and having its opposite ends tapered, anair pipe having its upper end in intake relation to the interior of saidenclosure at a oint above the suspended tobacco, means connecting thelower end of said air pipe in communication with one end of said heatercasing, a blower in said means acting to draw air down said air pipe andforce the air forwardly through said heater casing, air heating meanscontained by said heater casing and arranged to be contacted by airpassing forwardly in said casing, and relatively small cross sectionheated air conduits projecting laterally from opposite sides of the apexof the forward tapered end of said casing and formed with holes todischarge the heated air.

5. A tobacco curing apparatus comprising an enclosure in the upper partof which the tobacco to be cured is suspended, a horizontally elongatedheater casing extending centrally across and substantially from side toside of the lower part of said enclosure, said heater casing being ofrelatively large cross section and having its opposite ends tapered, anair pipe having its upper end in intake relation 'to the interior ofsaid enclosure at a point above the suspended tobacco, means connectingthe lower end of said air pipe in communication with one end of saidheater casing, a blower in said means acting to draw air down said airpipe and force the air forwardly through said heater casing, air heatingmeans contained by said heater casing and arranged to be contacted byair passing forwardly in said casing, and relatively small cross sectionheated air conduits projecting laterally from opposite sides of the apexof the forward tapered end of said casing and formed with holes todischarge the heated air, said heater casing being of substantially thesame rectangular cross section between the tapered ends, and said airheating means consisting of coils of steam coils arranged longitudinallyin said casing, said steam coils comprising horizontal pipes.

CHARLES T. JACKSON.

